


Poison lessons (that you're learning)

by chaosmyths



Category: X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Thieves, As with everything I write friendship/platonic relationship heavy, Fluff, Found Family, Leverage AU, Light Angst, M/M, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 02:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20941103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosmyths/pseuds/chaosmyths
Summary: “You want to know what the trick is? It's confidence. You believe what you’re saying and they'll believe it too”Wooseok is a grifter. It’s his job to mould himself into someone new; into who a mark wants him to be. He spends his life pretending him to be someone who he’s not, breaking people down into their ugliest parts.Wooseok never expected to have people to rely on and yet here he is with a team he cares for more than he can express. Maybe therein lies the problem.





	Poison lessons (that you're learning)

**Author's Note:**

> Why yes I do have a leverage au for another fandom I never finished 250K words in. What of it? Why yes I do have a WIP fit I was literally in the middle of writing the next chapter for when this idea took root. What of it? We’re here now and it’s entirely Maddie’s fault. I’ve struggled writing for weeks; I wrote this in a few hours.
> 
> A leverage au with very little actual heisting. I will probably expand upon this with some actual jobs but let’s hope my self control holds until AFTER I finish my placement in November - I just needed this out of my system you know?
> 
> Once again there are pretty huge timeskips here but what you gonna do? I also tried to do something different with style which you can see in the beginning and ends especially but then it devolved into my usual bullshit

Wooseok is a grifter. It’s his job to mould himself into someone new; into who a mark wants him to be.

Wooseok is a grifter. He spends his life pretending him to be someone who he’s not.

Wooseok is a grifter. It’s his job to be able to read people at a glance; to know what they want, what they fear. What they _desire_.

He’s spent a great deal of his life making _Kim Wooseok_ unremarkable, no one to look twice at.

So when Ahn Junyoung finds him he knows that nothing good will come of it; he knows that the slimy fucker has no intentions of delivering what he’s promising - knows that there is a double cross waiting to happen.

For reasons Wooseok will never explain to anyone he takes the job.

When he walks into the meeting place and realises than Han Seungwoo is the goddamn brains of this operation he almost walks out. Yet he doesn’t - curiosity about what could turn the honest man crooked winning out.

Wooseok knows that Ahn Junyoung has no intention to follow through on his side of the deal - the others do not.

So when they don’t get paid, when Junyoung tries to blow them all up he has enough time to warn the rest of them.

They don’t take it well; that Wooseok didn’t warn them. There’s yelling and screaming and Seungyoun threatens to burn all his aliases. Seungwoo’s quiet disappointment shouldn’t feel the worst because Wooseok doesn’t care what a cop thinks of him, and yet it does.

“Shouldn’t we be trying to get back at Junyoung, not Wooseok though?” Hangyul eventually speaks up cutting Seungyoun off mid rant.

Wooseok smiles the cogs already in motion, “Oh I’m already working on it.”

The plan works of course it does; he’s no Han Seungwoo but he can take down one corrupt motherfucker who basically incriminated himself. When they’re standing together at the end watching Junyoung get marched away Wooseok _sees_ the moment men that will become his team realises he’s so much more than just a pretty liar.

When Ahn Junyoung finds him Wooseok knows that nothing good will come of it; he was wrong.

* * *

Yohan is green - anyone with eyes can see that; why Junyoung chose Yohan as his first choice thief for a team Wooseok can’t say.

“I haven’t been doing this long - at all,” Yohan confesses to them after their first successful job - Wooseok isn’t counting the shitshow as a proper job and he’s pretty sure no one else is either. There’s a bottle of beer clutched loosely in his hand and Wooseok wonders how much of what he’s about to say is coming from alcohol loosened lips.

The rest of them exchange looks, unsure how to reply.

“We know,” Seungwoo eventually says, swirling around his wine glass thoughtfully because he was wanky enough to drink _wine_ in celebration.

Everyone probably knew; even Hangyul had shot Yohan a skeptical look at one of his questions earlier in the job. Wooseok isn’t always the best judge at these things but If Hangyul noticed then it was ridiculously obvious.

“Am I that bad?” Yohan asks, staring into his beer despondently.

“No,” Seungyoun reassures him with a pat on his back, “It’s not your skills! It’s just…”

“You don’t really know anything about the whole... world,” Seungwoo finishes for him. Seungwoo was a goddamn cop and he knew more about cons and contacts and the way the underbelly _worked_ than Yohan did, “The vocabulary.”

“The etiquette,” Hangyul says dryly clearly remembering Yohan’s incessant questions the first time they’d met.

“Thieves have etiquette?” Yohan asks with a tilt of his head that’s too guileless to be real.

“Shut up,” Hangyul throws a plastic fork at Yohan’s head that bounces off with barely a glance.

Yohan sticks his tongue out in response before he sobers, “I just, don’t want to let you guys down. I can pickpocket and pick a lock, but I get the feeling a thief is supposed to do more than that.”

“A thief steals things, I think you’re pretty proficient at that,” Wooseok speaks up dryly, ignoring the glare that Seungwoo sends him. That man has a stick up his ass at all times so who really cares he doesn’t approve of Wooseok’s answer.

“When you say you haven’t been at this long how long do you mean?” Seungyoun asks curiously. He probably knows the answer though it’s possible he doesn’t. Yohan’s kind of thieving does leave the least amount digital trace.

“About two months? Maybe?” Yohan tilts his head consideringly.

“What since you started taking on jobs like this?” Hangyul clarifies, reaching for a soju glass on the table in front of him with a grimace.

“No since I taught myself to pickpocket,” Yohan says, still looking at the bottle in his hands instead of at anyone.

There’s a stunned silence around the room so long the Yohan looks up at them in confusion, “What?”

“You taught yourself to pickpocket that well in two months? With no one to help you?” Hangyul asks, leaning forward desperately.

“Yes?”

“From scratch? No prior skills?” Hangyul continues to interrogate Yohan, perhaps slightly tipsier than Wooseok had first pegged him for.

“I got injured and it ended my career so...I just sort of fell into it?” Yohan doesn’t exactly sound very confident relaying his own history but it is an unbelievable sounding story Wooseok will give him that.

“Of course that makes total sense,” Seungyoun says sarcastically waving his bottle in the air, “Just leave your job and teach yourself to pickpocket better than kids that have been doing it half their life. You are one of a kind Kim Yohan.”

“Yeah I guess,” Yohan says with a blush before Wooseok changes the subject, recognising that Yohan is getting genuinely uncomfortable now.

“I have a friend,” Wooseok offers later as he helps Yohan back to his room later that evening ignoring the grateful grin Seungwoo is sending him. He’d volunteered to do so just to talk to him; not to help their intrepid leader, “That might be willing to teach you a thing or two about the art of being a thief.”

“Am I not good enough?” Yohan pouts, head lolling slightly.

“No. You said you wanted to get better, I’m offering you professional development,” Wooseok explains patiently. Whilst he’s drunk probably isn’t the best time to offer but Wooseok is half hoping that Yohan forgets. If Yohan forgets then Wooseok doesn’t have to feel guilty for not offering but he doesn’t have to try and contact Jinhyuk either.

It’s been so long and he doesn’t know if Jinhyuk would even answer his calls anymore; It’s not a question he desperate to have answered.

“Oh, thank you hyung, maybe,” Yohan says sounding so drowsy that he’ll probably forget. Wooseok thinks nothing of it as he deposits Yohan in his bed before crawling into his own, the cool sheets feeling wonderful against his weary body.

For the first time in a long time he drops off to sleep without having to visit a thousand anxieties first and it’s a good thing he does because he’s woken up way too soon the next morning.

A remarkably cheerful looking Yohan sitting on the base of his bed; way too chipper for someone who drunk as much as he did last night. Stupid young kids and their inability to get hangovers.

“Okay, you can call your friend for me now,” Yohan’s grin grows when he notices that Wooseok is now awake, “I’m ready to learn.”

Yohan is green but he’s also got a will to learn and _listen_ like no one else Wooseok has ever seen in this business. There’s no other thief Wooseok would rather have on his team (don’t tell Jinhyuk).

* * *

For a team of criminals used to working alone that was formed through no choice of their own they work together remarkably well.

Which isn’t to say there’s never conflict between them. Wooseok bristles at the authority that Seungwoo assumes without asking any of the rest of them and he knows he’s not the only one.

Seungyoun can push his joking behaviour too far sometimes, getting on everyone’s last nerve, and other times he gets stuck in his head in a way that no one has quite worked out how to approach yet.

Yohan and Hangyul can bicker like no one’s business though Wooseok also feels like they understand each other in a way he doesn’t want to know.

Wooseok knows he’s not necessarily the easiest to be around either. Knows that he’s cold and unkind, spiteful and prickly. He knows that getting close to him is a mammoth task that’s not worth the effort. He listens to what people tell him he just doesn’t care enough to change it.

And Seungwoo well, Wooseok knows someone keeping up appearances when he sees it. Not that he cares what Seungwoo’s motivates are though; probably just having to adjust to being on the wrong side of the law.

Serves him right. Wooseok thinks spitefully.

* * *

It’s obvious to see that Hangyul doesn’t exactly know where he fits in with the team. For all his unbridled enthusiasm and cheerful exterior, for all that he claims to hate guns - he looks the part of the thug he was essentially hired to be. He’s the first to join in Seungyoun’s shenanigans with minimal prompting and lounges on furniture in ways that shouldn’t possible comfortable; and yet holds himself like a soldier when he’s nervous or afraid.

A puppy desperate for affection Seungyoun once claims. Cruel not not inaccurate. A boy who learned to be a soldier before he learned to be a child.

Hangyul is there not because of skill but because of brute force he often claims and Wooseok knows self deprecation when he hears it.

The first time that one of Seungwoo’s plans doesn’t go exactly to plan is pretty early into their run. Their eighth job to be exact not that Wooseok is counting.

It’s not Seungwoo’s fault in anyway - the guards deciding to do their walk through half an hour early for reasons that none of them manage to find out even later (not that anyone but Seungyoun attempts to look).

“Yohan, you’ll have guards on you in approximately fifty seconds,” Seungyoun chirps over the coms as Wooseok sits on an office desk watching Yohan at work, “Are you almost done?”

“No quite,” Yohan grits out between clenched teeth, “Considering safe cracking isn’t exactly my area of expertise.” The fact he’s out of his depth has him more on edge than usual.

“You’re a natural at it,” Wooseok assures Yohan, running a reassuring hand across his shoulders. He’s so tense the poor boy.

“Sure, but I’ve never cracked _this_ kind of safe before so no I cannot have it done in fifty seconds.”

“It’s actually about fifteen seconds now,” Seungyoun chimes in - the opposite of helpful.

“Wooseok can you talk them down?” Seungwoo asks calm under pressure as he always is.

“Of course,” Wooseok straightens up heading out into the hallway, “Yohan leave that alone and come here for a second.”

Yohan frowns but lays down his tools and follows Wooseok into the hall.

“Hangyul you better make your way to the twenty seventh floor just to be safe,” Seungwoo orders before going quiet.

“Already on it,” Hangyul answers shortly; probably taking the stairs.

“It’s like you doubt my ability,” Wooseok mutters petulantly; he knows Seungwoo is just covering all their bases but the blow to his pride stings. Just a little bit.

“How did you get up here?” one of the guards asks.

“The elevator?” Wooseok says with a hint of disdain in his voice without being too challenging to their authority, “How else would we get up to the 27th floor? Through a window?” Yohan actually did come in through a window but they obviously don’t need to know that.

“Well, no of course not,” The guard says looking chastised but not offended, “But _what_ are you doing here?”

“My brother works here, likes to work too much if you know what I mean,” Wooseok shoots a mock glare at Yohan who looks appropriately cowered, “It was our mother's birthday today and he forgot so here I am trying to drag him away from work but _no_ he refuses to go until he finishes this spreadsheet,” Wooseok rolls his eyes, “A spreadsheet prioritised over our own _mother_.”

“Calm down,” Seungyoun mutters over the coms. Wooseok ignores him and just keeps talking, trying to overwhelm the guards into just letting them leave.

He’s succeeding he can tell; has almost managed to talk their way out of it, Yohan nodding compliantly behind him, when the head of security appears. Unfortunately Wooseok had introduced himself to the man as someone entirely different yesterday so his lie falls apart.

“Oops,” Wooseok says, taking a step backwards so he’s now standing behind Yohan, “Well I tried my best.”

“I’m two minutes away,” Hangyul says sounding out of breath as he rushes towards them, “Can you stall them for that long?”

“Probably not,” Wooseok shakes his head, peeking out from behind Yohan’s arm as the men start towards them, “Yeah definitely not.”

“Shit,” Hangyul curses and then goes silent - conserving energy Wooseok would assume.

He’s not going to get here in time.

“Step back,” Yohan tells Wooseok, reaching back to push him on the shoulder before he has a chance to make a move himself.

Wooseok does as told, holding his breath. Waiting.

He doesn’t wait long - as soon as the first guard is within arms reach Yohan lashes out with a well placed punch that knocks the man clean off his feat. The other guards stare at the

It’s a flurry of kicks and punches as Yohan takes on all six guards single handedly; he’s not nearly as aggressive as Hangyul is - not as brutal but he’s efficient and clearly well practiced. If Wooseok had to guess he’d say Yohan learned professionally.

It takes barely a minute for Yohan to take care of all the guards, the last of them falling to reveal Hangyul standing at the other end of the hall.

Hangyul’s got the head of security in a choke hold which isn’t unusual. What is unusual is the look of surprise on Hangyul’s usually unflappable face. It’s also fucking hilarious; and Wooseok isn’t the only one to think so.

It’s the first time he hears Seungwoo laugh like that, loud and unrestrained. It’s followed soon after by the thump of a body hitting something hard.

“Seungwoo just fell off his chair,” Seungyoun says cheerfully sounding equally as amused by the whole thing (of course Seungyoun knew as well).

“Alright, alright,” Seungwoo finally manages to gasp when he’s got the giggles under control, “Clean up, grab the file and get out of there.” Apparently Seungwoo is too amused by the chain of events to be annoyed that something went wrong.

“Already on it,” Wooseok snaps as he helps Hangyul drag the guards into an empty office. There’s literally no one else in the building to stop them but there’s still an underlying sense of urgency as Yohan finishes picking the safe, grabbing the files they need and miraculously making it back to the awaiting van.

It’s not until they’re crowded into the back of the van on the way back to their base that Hangyul finally asks, ““What the hell was that about? Since when can Yohan fight?”

“What you didn’t think you were the only one that could throw a punch did you?” Seungyoun calls back from the driver's seat.

“Oh no, that’s not just throwing a punch, Wooseok throws punches. That was kicking ass,” Hangyul insists, inching towards Yohan who is sitting next to Seungyoun up front.

“Are you saying I don’t kick ass?” Wooseok asks with a pout.

“No, that’s not what I mean,” Hangyul waves him away without even a smile.

“You can be very scary when you want to be dear,” Seungyoun tells Wooseok with an exaggerated blown kiss. Wooseok glares; he’ll definitely pay for that later.

“Yohan has clearly had training. Taekwondo training.” Hangyul says. He’s ability to identify fighting styles is still uncanny to the point Wooseok isn’t convinced he’s not just bullshitting them all. Hangyul would.

“He was a national champion, did we forget to tell you?” Seungwoo asks with a smile.

Wooseok has to hold Hangyul back from slapping him.

After the initial surprise of the revelation Hangyul seems to get over it. Or at least pretends to. For all of two days before he cracks and asks Wooseok

“Did everyone know but me?” Hangyul asks Wooseok late one evening as the two of them sit in the kitchen of their bass, “About Yohan.”

“I imagine Seungyoun knew,” Wooseok shrugs. Seungyoun knows everything there is to know about all of them, “Seungwoo clearly knew. Obviously Yohan knew.”

“Did you know?” Hangyul asks, looking at the can of beer in his hand rather than Wooseok.

“I didn’t _know_ but I could tell he had some sort of training,” Wooseok goes with honesty. There’s something about Hangyul that demands honesty. Wooseok knows that he’ll get more from Hangyul with honesty than working him.

It’s nice if not confronting.

“Your Sherlock Holmes thing,” Hangyul says with a nod. Wooseok tries not to snort in laughter.

“If it’s any consolation I don’t think you’re a drunk because you try and plug your phone in to charge in the dark,” Wooseok shoots back. Not that he’ll admit to ever having watched that awful show.

“Why didn’t he tell me?” Hangyul asks instead of responding to Wooseok’s quip.

It’s easy to forget Hangyul is the maknae sometimes. Times like these it’s really obvious.

“Do we know all there is to know about you?” Wooseok asks him gently. He knows they don’t; Hangyul doesn’t mention his military service or his family - not ever. Actually for someone who talks as much as Hangyul does he doesn’t talk much about _himself_.

“You know you don’t,” Hangyul leans forward and rests his head on the counter, brushing against Wooseok’s arm but not initiating any further contact himself, “but this is different.”

“Because it’s something you could have found by plugging his name into Google?” Wooseok questions wryly

“I’m not a hacker!” Hangyul protests, words still muffled by the table.

“It’s a search engine Hangyul,” Wooseok rolls his eyes, ruffling Hangyul’s hair to give him the affection he clearly wants but doesn’t know how to ask for yet, “It’s not rocket science.”

Hangyul continues to pout into the table so Wooseok ma handles him into a sitting position, grabbing him by the shoulder to stop him escaping and says “Remember when Yohan told us he had to leave his previous job because of injury?”

“How could I forget? That was the same night he was so plastered he tried to climb the ceiling fan.” Hangyul laughs at the memory, face lighting up.

“Right so if he had to leave his previous job because of injury,” Wooseok tries to lead Hangyul to the conclusion but either he’s too tired to get it or being wilfully obtuse; he refuses to believe Hangyul is actually that stupid, “Maybe he doesn’t talk about it because it’s a sore subject.”

“Oh,” Hangyul says thoughtfully before his eyes widen in realisation, “Oh!”

“Don’t worry, you're still the best ass kicker we’ve got,” Wooseok assures Hangyul pulling his head to rest against his shoulder.

Hangyul huffs out a laugh, “Why do I even bother hiding anything from you?”

“Because you’re kind enough to give me a challenge?” Wooseok offers even though reading Hangyul is never exactly a challenge. It’s worth it though for the way Hangyul chuckles and almost falls off his chair as he turns to tuck his head into Wooseok’s neck; clinging to him like he’s an emotional life line.

Wooseok says nothing, just strokes his back and lets him centre himself.

Hangyul sometimes doesn’t know what to do with himself, where he fits in with all this. That’s okay though, Wooseok is always more than willing to show him.

* * *

Wooseok has history with Seungwoo like he has a history with no one else.

Seungwoo is the only person that ever came close to catching Wooseok. He didn’t know Wooseok as Wooseok but he didn’t need to. He found out enough about Wooseok to stay on his tail for years; knew his face if not his name.

Ruined more than one job that Wooseok had put months of planning into with nothing more this his presence and stupidly kind smile.

At first Wooseok is determined not to like Seungwoo even if he agrees to work with him for the foreseeable future. Whilst he’d never go as far as to affect the plan or put any of the others in danger he makes it clear how he feels about Seungwoo. About a cop trying to tell them how to do their job.

Seungwoo is not deterred. Sure at first he gives Wooseok his space and lets him be petty but as they all start opening up to each other Seungwoo seeks Wooseok out.

At first Wooseok brushes off Seungwoo’s earnest, wide eyed attempts to get close to him. Then Seungwoo changes tact, responds to Wooseok the way that Wooseok treats him. Sharp words and sharper smiles. Carefully and plastically.

Wooseok hates it. He also thinks Seungwoo is more attractive than he has any right to be.

So at Seungyoun's advice he forces himself to soften. Responds to Seungwoo with more than one word answers, doesn’t tense up when he’s in Seungwoo’s vicinity. Stops expecting this to be an elaborate set up - Seungwoo could have had them a long time ago without continuing to commit crimes himself

In response Seungwoo goes back to his genuine questions and gentle attempts to coax Wooseok out of his shell.

And to his surprise he finds he likes Seungwoo. Behind the strict cop that has been chasing Wooseok for years is a goofy dork who laughs, and does everything else, loudly. Whose kind and puts his team above himself in all matters. Who would take on every risk of a job himself if it was practical.

Which isn’t to say they’re relationship softens. Instead it starts to gain charge. Heated looks replace glares, the sharp words take on a teasing tone as the hostility bleeds away. Not once does Seungwoo ever stop trying; even when Wooseok lets down his guard and pushes too hard.

Wooseok has always liked the thrill of the chase after all. Nothing compares to knowing that Seungwoo cares enough _to_ chase.

When it inevitably ends with Seungwoo crowding Wooseok against the wall of their apartment one evening Wooseok can’t say he’s surprised.

Seungwoo leans in until they’re barely a hair breadth apart, Wooseok vibrating in anticipation. Then he pulls back and Wooseok almost whines.

“Can I?” Seungwoo asks, eyes not leaving Wooseok’s lips.

“Can you what?” Wooseok tilts his head and bats his eyelashes; if Seungwoo is going to be a tease then two can play that game and if it isn’t a game Wooseok has experience in.

Seungwoo groans, burying his face against the crook of Wooseok’s neck; The contrast from the confidence of mere seconds ago has Wooseok almost cooing, “Are you going to make me say it _outloud_,” he whines.

Wooseok laughs, wrapping an arm around Seungwoo’s waist and slipping a hand under the back of his shirt in the process. “If it’s too embarrassing to ask then just do it.” He says with more confidence then he feels.

Seungwoo hums, Wooseok can feel the vibrations in his neck, before he draws back just far enough that he can whisper in Wooseok’s ear, a soft croon that makes Wooseok blush.

Seungwoo pulls back with a pleased twinkle in his eye and Wooseok can’t help himself from aiming a playful slap at Seungwoo - he has to keep his pride - before leaning forward and brushing the barest of kisses against his lips. There’s a gentleness to it that’s so unlike the passion that had brought them to this point and yet it feels right.

Seungwoo beams at him in a way that makes his stomach flip in fondness before swooping in to kiss him again.

Seungwoo and Wooseok have a history; hopefully they also have a future.

* * *

Seungyoun knows everything there is to know about them.

He’s never admitted as much but Wooseok is sure of it; sure that he would have dug up their entire histories before he’d agreed to make this arrangement more permanent.

Unlike the other arrogant shithead hacker Wooseok has worked with a handful of times before Seungyoun doesn’t lord the information over them.

Instead Wooseok is convinced he uses the information to take care of the rest of them. Seungyoun lets no birthday go unnoticed though he never makes a spectacle unless he knows it’ll be appreciated. Yohan gets a cake and silly party hats and a pile of presents. Wooseok gets a birthday card left on his pillow.

On the anniversary Seungyoun drags Wooseok out of the house and for a wander by Han River with the excuse of just needing some fresh air, chatting the whole time with an easy smile on his face.

Wooseok knows he’s being handled and Seungyoun must know he knows but neither of them say anything and it’s calmest he’s been on the anniversary since it happened.

When his prescription runs out in the middle of a job in Japan he barely has a chance to panic before it’s miraculously replaced.

Seungyoun does the same for everyone; a call from someone called Sunhwa just happens to come in whenever Seungwoo gets a particular look in his eye. He manages to always manoeuvre Yohan away from anything that involves water in any large qualities.

Other little things like their preferences and their histories. Medical issues and potential traumas; Seungyoun knows all of it. Must do more than Wooseok _knows_ for the others.

Wooseok doesn’t like to think about it too hard - he’s sure there are _some_ things that Seungyoun can’t possibly know about him. Not since he still treats him with kindness.

Seungyoun knows them all so well. But who knows Seungyoun?

Wooseok is sitting in the back of Seungyoun’s van with Seungyoun and Hangyul waiting for Yohan to break into the building across the street and let them in when the pieces start to fall together.

Seungyoun is typing away frantically on his laptop - apparently he’s helping Yohan with the security system but Wooseok is half convinced that he’s just attempting to look busy - whilst Hangyul and Wooseok try and kill time.

At some point Seungyoun starts shaking his head in annoyance catching both Hangyul and Wooseok attention.

“Fly bothering you?” Hangyul asks, sounding entirely unfazed at whatever Seungyoun was annoyed about.

Seungyoun grunts in response; ignoring the chance to snap back at Hangyul. So maybe he really is doing work.

At some point the messy bun Seungyoun’s thrown his hair into has come loose, and his long hair spilling out and sticking to his neck in the summer humidity.

Seungyoun seems really annoyed at the hair; more than he really has any right to. Wooseok wonders what the story is there. He doesn’t ask, instead he slides forward until he’s sitting behind Seungyoun and pulls the bun out entirely.

“What are you doing?” Seungyoun asks in annoyance, shoulders hunching up around his ears.

“Fixing your hair since you’re too busy with whatever game you’re playing right now to bother,” Wooseok snaps back, “Which isn’t my problem but the way you’re doing your best dog imitation right now is driving me crazy.”

“Not a game,” Seungyoun protests and leaves it at that.

“Sure it’s not,” Wooseok says as he starts to gather Seungyoun’s hair back up into a little ponytail before he decides he might as well braid it.

Stake outs really are that boring and hey it might ignore Seungyoun.

“What are you doing?” Seungyoun complains, finally removing his hands from the keyboard as Yohan shrieks little cry of triumph on his side of the coms. He’s in; now he just needs to get them in.

“Hold still,” Wooseok orders as he pulls Seungyoun’s hair tighter, “I told you, fixing your hair.”

“Oh are we doing each other’s hair? Me next,” Hangyul says kicking his legs up on the back of the seat.

“If you’re not careful I will,” Wooseok tells him picking up an an empty water bottle to wave at him in a way that’s not even close to threatening.

“Pink highlights please,” Hangyul smiles winningly at him. Wooseok throws the bottle this time not surprised in the least at the way Hangyul ducks out of the way and lets it smack into the van’s window.

“Don’t hurt Luizy,” Seungyoun complains, trying to crane his head to look. Wooseok just pulls tighter on his ponytail to keep his head in place.

“One day you’re going to tell us why your van has such a dumb name,” Hangyul says stuffing his face with who knows what; he’s braver than Wooseok that’s for sure. Who knows how long Seungyoun’s had that food sitting around.

“It’s not dumb,” Seungyoun snaps back with too much venom for it to be classed as playful. Yet another secret to Seungyoun’s past.

“Why is your hair such a mess?” Wooseok asks Seungyoun, trying to tease the knots out with his fingers without pulling too hard. It’s a weak attempt at distraction; they’d probably see through him anyway so there’s no point wasting time with a decent one.

“My hair is clean,” Seungyoun protests.

“It is, but it’s tangled as fuck do you even _own_ a hair brush? A comb?” Wooseok asks yanking a particularly stubborn knot so hard Seungyoun’s head pulls back. Beyond that he doesn’t even flinch.

“There’s one around here somewhere,” Seungyoun says with a wave of his hand.

“Oh, I think I’m sitting on it,” Hangyul says helpfully, reaching down to pull out a comb.

“Gross,” Wooseok wrinkles his nose but catches the comb when it’s thrown to him, untangling the braid that he’s started so that he can comb it out.

Seungyoun tenses at first but the second that Wooseok gets the comb in his hair he relaxes entirely, going boneless against the front of Wooseok’s legs. Why he insists on sitting on the floor of this thing when he’s got the interior all kitted up Wooseok will never understand.

“You right there?” Wooseok

“Fine, just tired,” Seungyoun says. There’s more to it than that. Wooseok doesn’t question it. Instead he continues to work the knots out of Seungyoun’s hair, and then even when they’re all gone continues to brush. It’s soothing Wooseok finds; familiar. Clearly Seungyoun doesn’t mind either.

Eventually though Yohan returns, banging on the back of the door and telling Wooseok to hurry up. Wooseok starts not realising exactly how much time he’d lost as he quickly braids Seungyoun’s hair with efficient fingers before scrambling out after Hangyul to complete the job.

Seungyoun likes to have his hair played with; it’s a piece of information to file away in the mental boxes he keeps on all his team members but he doesn’t think it’s going to ever be of any use.

And it’s not. But a few months later Seungyoun sets a hairbrush down on the arm of the chair next to Wooseok and sits down in front of him before he starts to do something on his phone.

Let it never be said Wooseok can’t take a hint; not that Seungyoun is hinting so much as just outright asking. So begins their periodic ritual; Seungyoun sits between Wooseok’s legs on the floor, laptop perched on his lap as he let’s Wooseok play with his hair.

“You’re getting good at that,” Seungwoo observes one evening, peering over Wooseok’s shoulder to examine the elaborate braid Wooseok is trying.

“I’ve always been good at this,” Wooseok sniffs in faux offense, “Seungyoun’s hair is just finally getting long enough for something pretty.”

“Oh of course,” Seungwoo soothes, kissing Wooseok’s cheek in a noisy apology precisely because he’s safe from retribution due to Wooseok’s hands being otherwise occupied, “my mistake for forgetting your past career as a hairdresser.”

“Just go to bed old man,” Wooseok turns his head to give Seungwoo a brief peck on the corner of his mouth, delighted at the pleased flush that paints itself across Seungwoo’s cheeks. That will never get old as long as Wooseok lives.

“Try not to stay up too late,” Seungwoo tells him with a ruffle of his hair and another kiss on the cheek before he heads for the bedroom leaving Seungyoun and Wooseok alone again.

“You know I don’t know when your birthday is,” Wooseok tells Seungyoun conversationally pulling tighter on his hair to make sure the braid is secure, “Don’t you think that puts us at something of a disadvantage?”

“I don’t see how that puts you at a disadvantage,” Seungyoun scoffs not bothering to look up from his laptop.

“How can we embarrass you on your birthday the way you embarrass us?” Wooseok asks, as he brushes Seungyoun’s hair this time with a much more gentle hairbrush, “I mean I could ask someone to find out for me, but that seems like it’d be cheating.

“They wouldn’t find anything,” Seungyoun says confidently. His left pinky twitches. Lie.

“Couldn’t hurt to try,” Wooseok shrugs, tugging a stand of Seungyoun’s hair warningly.

Seungyoun sighs but caves easily “August 5th.”

“That was two weeks ago,” Wooseok points out. Then he drops it - because he’s able to tell when something is a sore subject. Because he knows Seungyoun likes to be the centre of attention but only when he can control the attention; only when it’s something he’s courting.

There are many things Wooseok knows about Seungyoun.

Seungyoun still calls his mum every Sunday no matter where in the world they are; memorably he’d even done it mid job once much to Seungwoo’s annoyance.

Seungyoun replaced all disposable containers in their safe houses with more environmentally friendly containers out of his own budge; if someone even thinks of buying a plastic water bottle they’re in for a lecture from him.

Seungyoun loves to have his hair played with and has a surprising talent for singing and is the most selfless person that Wooseok knows.

So yeah Wooseok might not know anything about Seungyoun’s history; none of them do.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t know Seungyoun.

* * *

Sometimes the jobs don’t go their way.

Sometimes the mark throws a wrench in their plan - they see them coming or they just do something unexpected; something not even Seungwoo could have seen coming. Sometimes civilians get in the way.

Sometimes one of them gets injured.

Seungwoo never takes a plan falling apart well. He’ll shoulder the blame that’s almost never his - because even Wooseok can admit his plans are oftentimes perfect - and accept no words to the contrary. Instead he’ll shut himself away in his room to agonise over what he could have done. What he should have done.

Over time Seungyoun and Wooseok work out how to coax him out of it; with pretty words and prettier smiles. With distraction or desperation. By playing on Seungwoo’s inane need to _fix_ things.

“You play dirty,” Seungwoo groans into Seungyoun’s shoulder after one particularly memorable distraction. Seungyoun smiles at Wooseok in smug satisfaction and continues to pet his hair.

When someone gets injured there is nothing to be done. Not really.

Because Seungwoo says the safety of his team is his highest priority and if he cannot protect his team what are they even doing.

Sometimes Seungwoo pushes them too far. Sometimes injuries could be prevented.

This time Hangyul tripped running down a set of stairs; there was absolutely nothing that could have been done to prevent it. He could have done it on his morning job.

And yet despite Hangyul’s good humoured jokes about being clumsy, despite his reassurances that it was entirely his fault Seungwoo locks himself away in his bedroom before the three of them even get him.

Wooseok look to Seungyoun as he helps Hangyul hobble over to the couch, Yohan darting to the kitchen for an ice pack.

“Boss man sulking?” Hangyul asks as he lowers himself down with a wince. Seungwoo’s probably not wearing his coms anymore but Wooseok kind of wishes he was so he could hear this.

“Has been since the job got finished,” Seungyoun shrugs meeting Wooseok’s eyes apologetically, probably blaming himself for not being quick enough to stop him.

“We have enough unnecessary guilt,” Wooseok scolds him without any heat, “Don’t start.”

“Here,” Yohan returns throwing a bag of peas at Hangyul’s head instead of just handing it to him like a well adjusted person, “You’re going to need to stay off that for a few weeks.”

“Thank you Dr. Yohan,” Hangyul rolls his eyes, cradling the peas in his hands as he waits for Seungyoun to finish wrapping his ankle.

“Well, good night I guess,” Wooseok says to the room at large as he heads for his room.

“Good luck, thank you for your sacrifice,” Hangyul says solemnly before he lets out a hiss and glares at Seungyoun.

“Sorry, accidentally pulled too tight.”

Wooseok hides a laugh in his hand as he opens the door to his bedroom; not locked for once. Apparently no matter how bad his mood Seungwoo won’t actually lock Wooseok out of his bedroom and therefore won’t lock himself away.

This whole sharing a room thing has more benefits than the obvious, Wooseok thinks as he lets himself into the room.

The only light source in the room is the lamp on the bedside table, illuminating Seungwoo lying on his back in the middle of the bed. There’s a pillow covering his face but Wooseok bets that he’s pouting underneath it.

Wooseok doesn’t bother saying anything to Seungwoo as he strips out of the clothes he’s been wearing all afternoon and into his sleep clothes; an old shirt of Seungwoo’s and his own pyjama pants. Usually he’d shower but right now there are more important things to worry about. Like dragging Seungwoo out of his head.

“Hyung,” Wooseok says softly as he climbs into bed next to Seungwoo, removing the pillow from his face in the process.

“Have you been sent to manage me?” Seungwoo asks. Self pitying. Wooseok really wants to smack some sense into him but knows that won’t work.

“Actually I’ve been awake for twenty five hours and this is my bed so I’ve come to sleep, if that’s alright with you?” Wooseok asks, letting some of the annoyance he’s feeling at Seungwoo’s pity party show in his voice. It’s not even really a lie; he’s knackered.

Seungwoo softens immediately as he always does for Wooseok, “Oh of course Wooseokie, sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Wooseok pats Seungwoo on the knee, curling his body into Seungwoo’s side, “You can make it up to me by cuddling me instead of sulking.”

“Wooseok,” Seungwoo says warningly.

“Cuddle!” Wooseok insists with a whine, knowing exactly how much pleading to put in his voice so that Seungwoo breaks rather than gets annoyed. It’s a talent.

“You’re a menace you know that,” Seungwoo asks but obliges by wrapping his arms around Wooseok and pulling him against his chest.

Wooseok takes a few seconds to settle and make himself comfortable before he allows himself to drift off to sleep; it’ll put Seungwoo’s guard down and he really is tried after all.

A few hours later he wakes to find Seungwoo is now sitting against the headboard, scribbling furiously in a notebook. It’s a sight that Wooseok has woken to many mornings over the last few years and yet the furrow between his brow isn’t a good sign.

“Hey,” Wooseok says groggily, turning over to lay on his back and stretch.

“Morning,” Seungwoo says absently not even looking up from his book. A glance at the clock on the nightstand tells Wooseok it’s still only 11pm.

Wooseok doesn’t bother pointing that out to him, instead he waits till he’s full woken up before he plucks the notebook out of Seungwoo’s hands and instead plants himself in his lap.

“Wooseok I’m trying to work,” Seungwoo puts in a token protest. He doesn’t make any move to grab the book and instead rests his hands on Wooseok’s hips so he can tell he’s not too upset.

“Work later, pay attention to me now,” Wooseok pouts petulantly, throwing the notebook onto the desk on the other side of the room.

“It’s hard not to pay attention to you,” Seungwoo says with a wry smile that leads Wooseok to believe he’s not saying that as a necessarily good thing.

“Well you might pay attention to me but don’t listen to me,” Wooseok says, dropping a kiss on Seungwoo’s forehead then each of his cheeks, “Because if you did I would still be sleeping right now.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I could hear you thinking, it woke me up,” Wooseok says with faux casualness, tracing patterns on Seungwoo’s forehead with his finger, “Blaming yourself.”

“It’s not blame it’s accepting responsibility,” Seungwoo argues. Like that’s not the _definition_ of blame.

“I don’t like when you _accept responsibility _for shit you can’t control,” Wooseok tells him plainly, making sure Seungwoo can read on his face how much it upsets him, “I don’t like when you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset,” Seungwoo assures him, running his hands down Wooseok’s arms in reassuring strokes that would be distracting if Wooseok wasn’t so used to Seungwoo and his compulsion for physical contact now.

“You seem upset to me,” Wooseok reaches out to cup Seungwoo’s cheek. Seungwoo melts into it mostly but holds himself back more than usual.

“I’m not.”

“Okay, I’ll believe you,” Wooseok tells him, tapping his cheekbone gently, “But hypothetically if I was blaming myself for an incident like the one on the Rundown job what would you tell me?”

“That job was years ago,” Seungwoo blinks in confusion.

“Yes but was the head of security blowing my exit strategy my fault?” Wooseok asks. You could argue it was Wooseok’s fault for not going with the same identity but Wooseok is pretty sure that Seungwoo _wouldn’t_.

“No, of course not,” Seungwoo rushes to reassure him.

“Okay,” Wooseok says simply, leaving it at that. You can argue with Seungwoo till you’re blue in the face with all the logic and facts in the world - when he’s in a mood like this there’s only a 50/50 chance you’ll get through to him.

“That’s it? No speech about how Hangyul could have just as easily tripped at home? No fake tears? Nothing?” Seungwoo asks looking baffled.

“I’m insulted you think I’d fake tears to manipulate you,” Wooseok pulls back with a frown. That’s not even a joke it’s a genuinely offensive thought.

“No I’m sorry,” Seungwoo leans forward for a quick peck; a brief brush of their lips more than anything, “I was exaggerating - being dramatic.”

“Okay,” Wooseok shrugs and let’s it go. There’s no point in getting angry about it, “And well I think it’s obvious you know Hangyul being clumsy isn’t your fault and isn’t a reflection on your plan,” Wooseok shrugs, as he wraps his arms around Seungwoo’s neck leaning closer.

“You’re unbelievable,” Seungwoo shakes his head as he grips Wooseok’s hips dragging him impossible closer.

“But you love me,” Wooseok smiles brightly, leaning forward for a kiss before Seungwoo has a chance to respond. Wooseok isn’t even trying to distract Seungwoo anymore; he just lets himself get lost in the kiss - they’ve spent way too much time apart recently.

Then the door opens.

“Not to interrupt,” Seungyoun says doing exactly that, “But Seungwoo did you want to go over the _things_.”

“Now?” Seungwoo asks incredulously, looking more than a little ruffled. Wooseok takes great pride in that even as he reaches forward to smooth Seungwoo’s hair down for him.

“It’s kind of, time sensitive,” Seungyoun says carefully.

Wooseok would be annoyed at them sometimes over all the ridiculously unnecessary subterfuge if he didn’t know them as well as he does.

Who is he kidding he is annoyed at them sometimes; especially considering they share the plan with them all sooner rather than later.

Today though he doesn’t have the energy to be bothered; especially when he knows this is Seungyoun taking the baton on preventing Seungwoo’s self-blame spiral. Wooseok is pretty sure he had it under control though.

“You’ve got serious planning things to do, I get it,” Wooseok tells them making to climb off Seungwoo, slightly disgruntled at being interrupted but more than used to by now.

Seungwoo doesn’t let him go, grabs him tighter by the waist and nuzzles his head into Wooseok’s neck, “Don’t be mad that Seungyoun has shit timing.”

“I’m not mad?” Wooseok says questioning why Seungwoo would even think that, “I can just tell when I’m not needed.”

“I always need you,” Seungwoo tells him earnestly, kissing him on the collar bone sweetly.

“Cheesy,” Wooseok says, trying not to show how Seungwoo’s sweet words get to him even after all this time, “Unnecessary. I’m not going anywhere except back to sleep.”

“Okay,” Seungwoo relents, pulling Wooseok into a brief kiss before letting him go.

Wooseok rolls his eyes as Seungyoun points at his own cheek exaggeratedly demanding a kiss of his own. “From who?” Wooseok asks, eyebrows raised.

“Both of you?” Seungyoun asks.

“Greedy,” Seungwoo says with a playful smile.

“There’s your kiss,” Wooseok grumps, blowing a half hearted kiss in Seungyoun’s direction with his middle finger. Seungwoo giggles at that, laughing so hard that he loosens his grip enough for Wooseok to roll off of him and onto the bed, “Now shut up and let me sleep.”

Wooseok curls up between the two of them, Seungwoo’s hand threading threw his hair gently as they talk quietly, the ebb and flow of their conversation putting Wooseok at ease and letting him doze; half asleep but aware of their surroundings. They don’t start their planning until they think Wooseok is asleep

It would hurt, the thought they didn’t trust him, if Wooseok didn’t know it was for the best.

Seungwoo never takes a plan falling apart well and Wooseok is helpless to fix it; good thing there’s Seungyoun.

* * *

Every single member of this rag tag team of misfits is a loud motherfucker Wooseok eventually discovers. For some like Seungyoun it’s obvious from the very first time he meets him; for others like Seungwoo the loudness emerges the more comfortable he becomes.

Let it be known if someone had once told Wooseok that he’d ever experience a half asleep Han Seungwoo sitting on a kitchen counter in his pyjamas shrieking in excitement he’d have thought them crazy. And yet this is a sight he sees more and more as they get comfortable with each other.

Wooseok let’s himself get swept away in the noise sometimes. Seungwoo will lift him off the ground in an enthusiastic hug or Seungyoun will goad him into an outburst of some kind. Hangyul’s sincere eyes and Yohan’s playful teasing and of course Wooseok will never miss the chance to make someone a spectacle on their birthday.

And yet he never initiates, not that anyone notices. Wooseok was loud once. Maybe. Or maybe one of his personas was loud - some days it’s hard to keep straight.

-

Wooseok is a grifter. It’s his job to mould himself into someone new; into who Seungwoo needs him to be.

Wooseok is a grifter - he’s spent so long pretending to be someone he’s not that he’s not sure he knows who he is anymore.

But that’s okay. He has a team now. He’ll just be who they need him to be.

It’s better this way.

**Author's Note:**

> There's a lot of backstory and development that isn't obvious here that would be in that full fic when i get around to it but hopefully this makes sense as is. 
> 
> I did attempt to edit this but it's also after 4am so I'll probably find a whole heap of mistakes when I re-read tomorrow.
> 
> Catch me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/nichesindrome) or [CC](https://curiouscat.me/chaosmyths) if you want :)


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